Although the procurement process is still in its early stages, the RCMP is looking to equip its front-line officers with 10,000 body-worn cameras to the tune of $238-million. But critics warn this may be an example of a 'Band-Aid' solution to larger, more complex societal problems.
RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki, pictured speaking with reporters at West Block on Apr. 20, 2020. The federal government allocated $238-million to equip officers with body-worn cameras in Dec. 2020. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
The federal government, the RCMP’s top brass, and the police force’s union are all squarely behind a recent push to see more than 10,000 body-worn cameras deployed nationwide to help “pull the police services into the 21st century,” says the force’s union head, while others have questioned its perceived benefits.
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Mike Lapointe joined the The Hill Times in June 2019 and covers the federal public service, deputy ministers, the Privy Council Office, public service unions, the Phoenix pay system, the machinery of government, and the Parliament Hill media. Follow - mlapointe@hilltimes.com
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